The invention relates to a tool for planting flowers and or bulbs which can be used both by professional landscapers or the home gardener and horticulturist. The tool is designed for ease of use and saving time in boring holes in the ground for planting. The invention is suitable for use in either prepared or unprepared seed beds.
Prior planting tools have tended to be manually operated devices requiring the user to apply his body weight to drive the planting implement into the ground. Gardening under such conditions is very labor intensive and time consuming. The gardener could render the actual planting process easier only by taking measure to prepare his planting beds by tilling prior to actual planting. However, these steps also introduce extra time and labor to the process. U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,400 to Luke and U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,369 to Hatcher are typical of manual planting tools. The devices in these patents incorporate features to make the tools lighter or easier to use and/or to preset the penetration depth of the devices. Though versatile, in that they can be used for planting a variety of flower seeds vegetable seeds or bulbs, the inherent problems associated with using these tools for planting the flower garden or landscaping are not resolved.
Auger planters represent a second major category of devices used for planting flowers and bulbs. Augers do alleviate some of the problems faced by the gardener. These devices are typically electrically operated, being adapted to be driven by conventional electric drills, as is the case with the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,269 to Charneski and U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,571 to Niewold, et. al. feature two representative auger planter designs. The Niewold auger is well suited for forming small shallow holes for planting seeds and bulbs and could be considered for use by the home gardener. In addition to performing the planting function, the Charneski auger attempts to solve additional problems such as cutting plastic or planting through mulches. These added features of the Charneski device in effect render it less desirable from a simplicity and ease of use standpoint for the home gardener. While auger type gardening tools make earth boring easier, they also introduce another set of problems into the planting process. Unless working in a prepared seed bed, the auger tends to remove a cylinder of soil that must later be recovered, pulverized and replaced in the hole after the bulb or seed is planted.
There remains the need for a planting tool which can be used by the home gardener or the landscape professional doing volume planting in prepared or unprepared seed beds. For ease of use, the tool should be powered by a conventional electrical drill. It is particularly desirable that soil loosened in forming the hole not be dispelled away from the hole so that the seeds or bulbs are easily covered after planting.
The tool must also be safe to use with any sharp edges being maintained away from the user or his garments. Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved tool for planting flowers and bulbs which is not labor intensive, which is safe and easy to use, and which can be used to plant in prepared or unprepared seed beds by both the professional landscaper or home gardener alike.
The present invention provides a tool for planting flower bulbs and ornamentals which addresses and solves the aforementioned problems of the prior devices. The invention is designed to form planting holes up to about six inches in depth for seeds and bulbs. The tool can be powered by a conventional xe2x85x9c inch to xc2xd inch electric drill.
In one embodiment, the tool is formed with an axial shaft which culminates in a boring bit portion. The shaft length is variable for differing planting applications. In one aspect, the boring bit portion incorporates a pilot point for starting the hole. The boring bit portion further includes a pair of laterally disposed blades. During rotation, the blades break up the soil and dislodge small pebbles or debris.
In a further feature of the invention, the tool incorporates a pair of angled fins that further widen the planting hole and pulverize the loosened soil. Most of the pulverized soil is retained in the hole. Upon reaching the desired depth, the tool is withdrawn and the seed or bulb planted and covered with the retained pulverized soil. As expected, best performance is achieved in prepared beds having soft moist soils; however these conditions are not prerequisites. The inventive tool is preferably of welded construction preferably from tempered metal.
The present invention accomplishes one primary objective of providing an improved tool for planting flowers and bulbs which is not labor intensive and which is safe and easy to use. Another object is to provide a gardening tool which can be used to plant in prepared or unprepared seed beds by both the professional landscaper or home gardener or horticulturist. These and other objects, advantages, and benefits are accomplished according to the devices of the following descriptions of the preferred embodiments of the present invention.